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I like new technology and I will never be an early adopter due to price. At some point I will buy some small tablet that I can make calls from and use as a CPU.
That being said, even if texture can be mimicked on a screen- nothing can replace the experience of a physical book. No Disney smell-o-vision. There's something appealing about putting a book in a backpack(or hell, in your pocket) and being able to throw it on the ground. There is also a charm about rereading a favorite book and the weathering it goes through after you have gone on a journey with Frodo, Aron Trask, or Twain again and again.
I knew of beta tapes as a kid, what I hear is the quality was better than VHS. Some technologies may win out for many reasons- effeciency, cost savings, MARKETING, etc. etc. etc.(and thats not to say that efficiency or portablity,etc. etc. is exclusive of quality, but it seems like those do bury quality). Because something wins out doesn't always mean its a superior product(and different things may be valued more by different consumers).
Compression seems like a problem in many media, but I don't think I have the ear or eyes to pick it up.
I would like to hear records through vacuum tubes. I don't have the skill or means to set something up like that. Even with downloads, there is just the nice trust factor of having the video game/movie hard copy that eliminates the need to rely on some call center if someone goofs up.

Originally Posted by Heeeere's Olesker!

I understand how you feel. I feel exactly the same way when it comes to books. I like to physically hold a book in my hands rather than read it on Kindle or Nook. That said, I'm guessing subscription is the way of the future.

Absolutely right about Beta. Back in the day I had one of the first Betamax VCRs in Chicago. The thing was the size of a card table top. But at the time it was state of the art and considered pretty cool. Used to play (OMG!) PONG on it.

Maybe a better question -- with NetFlix and Hulu and Vudu and all the other options out there -- is "Why would anyone buy a DVD?" I get the concept of wanting to get a newer film on DVD fast and not wanting to wait for the other delivery systems. But for anything older than six months I'm not sure I get it. I do understand the idea of wanting to build a library and I'm a guy that used to have a complete movie theater room a few houses ago. But nowadays it seems like compiling a lot of DVDs is just clutter in a life I'm trying to unclutter.

As an addendum, don't shed any tears for the entertainment industry. All these new options are simply evolutionary developments in the delivery system and studios get their take from them. After all, remember when everything was on Beta? Wait! No, most of you don't!

I'm far from an earthy/crunchy type, but I will point out that subscription systems are good for our environment as they're electronically delivering entertainment. Try to imagine the landfill mound made up of thirty years of tossed out Beta, VHS, DVD movies and all the packaging that went with them.

The picture quality and sound is supreme on blu-ray, even DVD in most cases. Also, DVDs and blu-rays provide extra features, commentaries, documentaries, that are not carried on just the movie streamed online.

The Vampire Lovers blu-ray.Superman Unbound blu-ray.Night of the Scarecrow blu-ray (NOT "Dark" night as i do own Dark Night on blu-ray but Night of the Scarecrow from 1995)Star Trek Next Generation Season 3 blu-ray.